Former SKA coach Roman Rotenberg is making a return to club hockey.
Roman Rotenberg, former head coach of SKA, is once again actively involved in club hockey. After his dismissal from the army club on June 2nd, he was without a KHL position for about a month, though his roles within the FHR remained. On July 1st, Rotenberg was officially introduced as a member of the Board of Directors for HC Dynamo Moscow. His primary responsibilities will focus on the development of the youth sports school and junior hockey.
Dynamo`s hockey school is currently experiencing difficulties, which head coach Alexei Kudashov has openly discussed. Following their playoff victory over Kazan`s Ak Bars, he highlighted issues within the 2015-born team, where his youngest son trains.
Kudashov voiced his concern, stating: “Yesterday, two coaches left the team, and ten players did not want to stay at the school. Today`s practice was canceled, and we don`t know who the coach will be. Dynamo`s school is falling apart, and frankly, I`m thinking about it.”
These accumulated problems will now fall on Roman Rotenberg. Judging by his recent Telegram publications, he deliberately prepared for this mission, working with children and conducting training sessions at the “Red Machine – Junior” school. At Dynamo, Rotenberg is unlikely to be involved in on-ice coaching. He is expected to tackle more significant tasks: building a system and preparing Dynamo`s immediate reserve. Prior to Rotenberg`s appointment, Andrei Safronov handled these responsibilities, and his future with the Moscow club is also worth monitoring.
There is a significant difference between Rotenberg as a coach and Rotenberg as a manager. As SKA`s head coach, his full potential was not realized, leading to a playoff failure. However, in terms of infrastructure, vertical integration, marketing, and PR, the army club under his leadership was considered a KHL frontrunner. Few clubs can boast a facility like the “Hockey City” created for SKA, where maximum comfort was provided for all system teams. From medical care to equipment, everything was top-notch. While other teams struggled with certain areas, at SKA, many issues were resolved quickly. Rotenberg is capable of applying this experience to HC Dynamo Moscow, whose school is currently experiencing a talent drain and lagging behind CSKA and Spartak.
Rotenberg`s passion for hockey is undeniable. The key is to ensure this passion doesn`t escalate into a desire for complete control over Dynamo, as reportedly happened at SKA. For now, the new board member will not influence the coaching process, and his path may not even cross with Kudashov`s, as their areas of responsibility differ. There is hope that no “hostile takeover” of power will occur and that Dynamo`s current sports management will continue to build the team. Rotenberg, in turn, will focus on the development of youth and junior hockey, as well as related projects like marketing and attracting investments. In such a scenario, Dynamo will undoubtedly benefit from his appointment.
Duncan Priestley